Tropical Fruit Forecast: Hot!
As South Florida moves into spring, the upcoming tropical fruit season is looking promising, despite recent torrential rains that affected Broward County.
Karim Rossy of the Rare Fruit and Vegetable Council of Broward County in Southwest Ranches says their property got some standing water as a result of the record-breaking storm.
“Most fruit trees will be okay,” he says. “It's the avocados that are very vulnerable in these situations. They just can't take it. That's why we always tell our gardeners to plant them high in their yard. So many properties in Davie or the Ranches are low-lying.”
The council is holding its spring plant sale on Sat., April 29 and Sun., April 30, and Sat., May 6.
In Miami-Dade, the storms did not present any big problems for tropical fruit growers. “The rain was needed, the winds not so much,” says Miami-Dade agricultural manager Charles LaPradd. “Most mango and avocado fruit was set and past the flowering stage. I have not witnessed much crop loss on the fruits (we shed a little bit this time of year anyway if the fruit set is heavy).”
One of the issues growers will face is the consistent humidity due to the prolonged rain and cloud coverage, which increases instances of fungus on the developing fruit and flowers, says LaPradd. “This will show itself later as the fruit matures.
Mango expert Dr. Richard Campbell of Mango Men Homestead is expecting a banner year. “We are busy with detailed pruning to remove old bloom spikes, senescent fruit and other disease-harboring twigs and leaves in the trees. We have had significant rains over the last two weeks and this type of pruning is essential for the maintenance of quality.” They expect to open their weekend mango sales in May. Follow their Facebook page for details.
If green mangos have fallen from your tree, collect them to use for pickling and chutneys.
